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4 Comments on “Blue Gremlin 3–page 2 of 2.”

I’ll just say this: Regardless of whether or not the blue Gremlin is a false lead, if law enforcement had immediately dismissed the Gremlin lead forty years ago without investigation, I know I’d be jumping all over the noninvestigation of the Gremlin (reported as being at the crime scene by multiple witnesses) as one of the critical screw-ups by the task force. (That law enforcement might have dismissed the Gremlin lead out of hand is not unreasonable—it seems relatively unlikely that any sort of 1970’s vintage hatchback subcompact would ever be used for an abduction, for no better reason than it would be too easy for an abductee, even a child, to either escape or to attract attention from people in other vehicles, even if confined to the back seat of a two-door. I’m not saying that it would be impossible, just riskier and more difficult, and thus more unlikely.)

As has been pointed out elsewhere—with so many factors indicating that multiple individuals were involved in these murders, the notion that more than one car can be connected to this crime is entirely reasonable—especially considering that there are indications that the Gremlin was still parked in that lot several hours after the abduction, very late at night, but was gone by dawn. What I’m trying to say is that despite the compelling additional vehicle evidence that has come to light since 1977, nothing particularly precludes the possibility that there were two perpetrators and/or two vehicles involved in this abduction, and thus there is still no reason to abandon the blue Gremlin lead entirely.

A false lead? Possibly—probably—maybe. I’ve always inferred that the witness statement of Marjorie Hoffman was primarily responsible for spawning the search for the blue Gremlin, yet the substance of her statement has never been publically released. Still, it seems highly probable that law enforcement found her statement compelling, and that’s the real question I have in connection with the blue Gremlin: Why did the police consider Marjorie Hoffman so credible, and what did she tell them? (I would also like to know who Marjorie Hoffman was, for that matter. She seems to be an even bigger mystery than Christopher Busch)

All I know about Marjorie Hoffman is that her name appears in the former Busch residence search warrant. https://catherinebroad.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/search-warrant-p-3-of-8-2/ I don’t know who she is or was–where she lived, is she still alive, why she was at the Hunter-Maple Pharmacy–or exactly what she told police, other than (according to the warrant) she provided the description of the suspect seen on the flyer which was widely circulated in the immediate aftermath of the abduction, which appeared on the flyer next to a photograph of a blue Gremlin with a white stripe. http://www.freep.com/graphics/oakland-county-child-killer/oakland-child-killer-wanted.jpg It is also worth pointing out that law enforcement was careful to point out that the car being sought was not necessarily an AMC Gremlin, suggesting that Ms. Hoffman was only able and/or to provide a general description of the car (blue subcompact/hatchback, white stripe).

As I’ve written elsewhere–for some reason, Marjorie Hoffman was apparently considered by law enforcement to be their most credible eyewitness in this case, to where her name was invoked on a search warrant over thirty years later. Who was she? What did she see?

The thing I find disturbing, Cathy, is the fact Jill had premonitions of a shooting beforehand;this is in black and white and therfor must be the gospel. (Actually, it’s all disturbing, but bear with me, please). She and Kristine lived in line with each other. I had thought perhaps Kristine’s fate was sealed by being in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Had she merely walked in front of him?
Stebbin’s mother heard noises after his disappearance. Perhaps there were odd people near your family prior to Tim’s disappearance. You say they made awful calls.
Had anyone been stalking the little girl? Had she seen a neighbor with a gun that was threatening her. Could the killer have lived between the two?
All children from single family homes…except your brother.
All children found in the same county…except your brother.
10 months between Stebbins death and the next.
All found alongside the road..except Stebbins.
Each near a holiday.
Perhaps this man lived on the lower side of Woodward and moved northward later?
The girls lived east/west; the boys north/south.